


Help me, Help me, I'm no Good at Goodbyes

by theonlyhanforcheol



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Hana is their daughter, M/M, but with a happy ending i guess, established-jeongcheol, got this from twitter, jeongcheol getting divorced, kid!chan, me desperately reviving the jeongcheol tag, pretty ansgty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 22:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17907314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonlyhanforcheol/pseuds/theonlyhanforcheol
Summary: jeongcheol gets a divorce but still become the best co-parents the world has ever heard of.aka the jeongcheol fic with a unrelated title because i suck at them (the title is from a train song - 50 ways to say good bye)





	Help me, Help me, I'm no Good at Goodbyes

**Author's Note:**

> this is chapter 1! hope you have a great time reading this! thanks for @incorrctcouphan from twiiter for the prompt! follow them there! :)
> 
>  
> 
> "I could have missed the pain  
> But I'd have had to miss the dance."

**“I WANT DADDY!”**

Hana screamed in frustration as Jeonghan tried to calm her down.

“Please, Princess. Daddy is busy and he can’t hug you right now. But don’t worry, he’ll pick you up on Saturday so you two can play.” Jeonghan tried to reason with his daughter.

The 4-year old has been throwing a tantrum at 8 in the morning, The constant screaming and pleading has been a constant for a while now. The toddler wants her daddy to give her his mandatory 3 hugs when she wakes up. Jeonghan has been trying to reason with her daughter, not wanting for her to wake up her younger brother Chan, and alert the neighbors. Jeonghan had to apologize to the kind lady that lives next door due to the constant chaos that happens every morning. He’s lucky Mrs. Yang understands Jeonghan’s situation, although he doesn’t want to test her limits. Amidst all the screaming and the crying, Jeonghan is a little grateful about all the distractions that take his mind away from some things that always try to claw on his mind.

 

It’s been approximately a year since he and Seungcheol, his ex-husband (it’s still weird to refer to the man as such even after a year), decided to finally end things with each other. Contrary to what the other housewives are gossiping about in the laundromat, it was a rather peaceful separation. Both men have been dating and living together for a long time that they both knew when their relationship has gone cold. Cuddles were replaced with silent snoring from Seungcheol and their usual banter over dinner has been replaced by quiet dinners with only the clatter of their utensils and Hana’s excited story of her day at the preparatory remaining. Jeonghan, truthfully, cannot take the silence anymore; he cannot take seeing the relationship they had built for over 8 years crumble in front of his eyes. So when he got the chance, he had Mingyu watch the children and filed for divorce himself.

Seungcheol seemed to take the divorce with little fight. When Jeonghan had given him the papers, his ex-husband just stared at the papers and then looked at Jeonghan, “We’re doing it, huh? The one thing we promised we wouldn’t put ourselves and the kids into.” Seungcheol said and Jeonghan just nodded. Seungcheol stared at the papers again and with a sigh, he signed the divorce papers.

 

What happened next was a blur. The time was filled with court proceedings and meetings with their lawyers (and friends) Wonwoo and Minghao, regarding the division of their shared properties. Seungcheol gave Jeonghan the house and the car while they had a long talk about the most important party in this separation: Hana and Chan.

“So what do you want to do about the child custody, Seungcheol?” Wonwoo asked.

Before Seungcheol can answer, Jeonghan said with finality in his voice, “I’m keeping them.”

“Babe---I mean, Jeonghan, I can’t give up the kids.” Seungcheol said remorsely.

 _But you gave up on me. On us._ Jeonghan thought.

“Please, let them stay with me in the house. They’ve been leaving there since they were babies, it would be difficult and selfish of us to uproot them from there just because we can’t save our marriage, let’s try to not make this divorce affect them too much. Listen, I’m not going to deprive you of the right to see them. They are your children as much as they are mine. You may not be my husband anymore, but you are still their dad. Hana and Chan still need you to be their other father.” Jeonghan said.

Seungcheol contemplated this and heaved a sigh.

“Okay, I guess you’re right. I want to be able to visit them whenever I want and I want to have days reserved for me when I can have them sleep on my penthouse. Of course, I’ll also be sending them monthly financial support---“

“You know you’re starting to sound like an asshole, right?” Jeonghan cut him off.

“Jeonghan….” Seungcheol looked at his ex-husband.

“Okay, fine.” Jeonghan nodded and silence filled the conference room. The two lawyers looked at their friends and clients and then looked at each other. They had been friends with the two for a long time and when Seungcheol had called them about the divorce, they couldn’t believe it.

(Wonwoo had his phone on loud speaker when Seungcheol called. His fiancé, Jun was cooking their dinner and as soon as he heard about the divorce, he charmingly dropped the pan with the stir-fried vegetables.)

MInghao cleared his throat to cut through the silence, “Okay, we’ll be making another copy of this draft with the amendments discussed today. We’ll send you both a copy, if you could just sign here.”

Jeonghan and Seungcheol signed the papers, officially ending their marriage. Jeonghan wouldn’t lie and say that he didn’t hear his heart breaking inside his chest. 4 years of marriage and 4 years of dating were huge chunks of his life that he has spent with Seungcheol. He watched as Seungcheol talked with Wonwoo privately about the details of the financial support and the transfer of the deed of their house. He was staring at the man who is now his ex-husband and soon felt his eyes tearing up because of the onslaught of the memories they shared from the first time they met, to their dates, to every surprise Seungcheol has prepared for him, their wedding day, the day the surrogate revealed that they will be parents, the day that Hana and Chan were born. All of these he shared with this man, and now he has to let go of him. Jeonghan was too immersed in the memories that he missed Seungcheol calling his name.

“Jeonghan? Jeonghan?” Seungcheol called him.

“Yeah?...” Jeonghan replied.

“I said, I’ll have the movers get my stuff at the house by the next day…” Seungcheol started.

 _That fast_? Jeonghan thought.

“Yeah…Sure. I’ll pack them up in boxes so that the m-movers won’t have a hard time.” Jeonghan said.

“You don’t have to do that, Jeonghan.” Seungcheol said.

“No…It’s nothing. Let me do this for you for….t-the l-last time.” Jeonghan’s voice broke at the last words.

“Hannie----“ Seungcheol started, “I’m sorry.” “No, it’s okay. It’s for the best.” Jeonghan said as he stood and started to walk out of the conference room of Seungcheol’s company, rubbing his platinum wedding ring as he did so.

“Jeonghan…” Seungcheol said and Jeonghan turned around, “What? Do you need the ring?” Jeonghan replied. The look on Seungcheol’s face is unreadable. “No, you---you..can h-have it…”, Seungcheol said as he thumbed his own ring sitting on his finger, “I just wanted to ask when do we tell the kids, well, Hana at least.” Seungcheol said. “We can do it tonight at dinner.” Jeonghan said turning away from his ex-husband’s eyes. “Okay. Are you going now?” Seungcheol asked him. “Yeah, Chan is going to wake up from his afternoon nap and you know how he gets cranky when he does. Besides, Hana should be coming h-home from preparatory; I need to prepare snacks for her.” Jeonghan said as he opened the door. “Okay, drive safe.” Seungcheol said. “Yeah.”

 

Wonwoo and Minghao just look on as the scene unfurled in front of them. Even a blind man can see that the couple still love each other. The two lawyers hope that their friends find their way back to each other soon.

 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------- 

 

Telling the kids was hard. How do you explain to your children that their parents are separating? How do you tell them that the family dynamic that they have been used to will change, albeit (Seungcheol and Jeonghan are gonna fucking try) just a little bit? Seungcheol and Jeonghan had talked about the situation: they would not let their differences affect the kids; they will still be the best parents for Hana and Chan.

 

That night, the ex-couple sat down Hana and Chan at the dinner table after finishing their food. Jeonghan looked at the other and motioned for him to break the news to the children. “Hana, Chan. Daddy and Papa have something to tell you guys.” Seungcheol started.

Jeonghan looked nervously at his two kids, gauging their expressions. Hana looked happy although a little curious as to why her dads had sat them down. Chan looked cute clutching his dinosaur onesie (a gift from Seungkwan) and not really minding the serious atmosphere.

“Daddy has to go live in another house. You know, Daddy has a lot of work right? If I come back here today every day, Daddy would get really tired, you know? You don’t want Daddy to be very tired, right?” Seungcheol explained carefully. He watched as his kids tried to process the things that their dad is saying. Seungcheol’s heart clenched as he watched his daughter clench his lips and then the waterworks started falling. Seeing his older sister cry made Chan upset and he too started crying.

“You’we not gowna come home hewe anymowe? You’ll leave Chan and me?” Hana sniffled while clutching the white rabbit plushie that Jeonghan and Seungcheol got for her 4th birthday. Seungcheol doesn’t know how to answer Hana’s question, instead he wiped her tears with his thumbs while Jeonghan tried to calm Chan, carrying him and taking him somewhere else as to not upset him more. Seungcheol held Hana’s small hand in his and squeezed, “Daddy is still gonna come here, but not a lot like before. You know, I have to work so you can go to school and Chan can have his milk right?” Seungcheol tried to explain to his daughter, although by now he is also crying. He can’t even fathom not getting to see his princess every day.

“Daddy, NO! Chan and I have pwenty of towys already! Uncle Seungkwan also gives us a lot. You don’t nweed to work, Daddieee! Just stway with Chan and me, pwease? Hana loves you very much!” Hana begged her dad. “Hana, you know I love you too. But Daddy really needs to. Even if Daddy doesn’t sleep here, always remember that I love you and Chan forever, okay?” Seungcheol said to his daughter. “You still love us, Daddy?” Hana asked.

“Of course, Princess. Nothing will change that.” Seungcheol said.

“DADDDDDDDY!” Hana screamed and launched herself to her Dad’s waiting arms. Seungcheol caught her and rubbed her back with his hand, effectively calming her. After a while, there were sniffles and then the sniffles became soft snores; Hana has fallen sleep. Seungcheol slowly walked up the stairs and to Hana’s bedroom. He gently laid her down on her bed and covered her with the pink blanket. After tucking her in, he placed a kiss on her forehead and let his sight linger on her sleeping figure for a while before going to the room beside hers and seeing Chan sleeping tightly too with his favourite blanket clutched tightly in his hands. Seungcheol tucked the blanket a little tighter and kissed his son’s forehead too. “Good night, little guy. Don’t be hard on your Papa, okay?” Seungcheol said and was interrupted by quiet footsteps approaching the bedroom.

 

Turning around, he found Jeonghan clutching his arms and looking a little worn out. “Is he asleep?” Jeonghan whispered and Seungcheol nodded.

After having a last look at Chan, he gently closed the door and faced his hus---ex-husband. “I’m going to take some important files from my office with me, I need to move those files myself, and they’re very important documents about the company and a few investments.” Seungcheol said as he went down the stairs and to his office. He got a back pack and started to rummage through his drawers and his vault, getting folders and boxes of important company files. Jeonghan stood leaning on the door frame, watching Seungcheol get his stuff from his drawers. _Seungcheol is really leaving._ Jeonghan was brought back to the day they first moved into this house and helping Seungcheol arrange the very files that he is now chugging in his back pack.

“I hope it’s okay but I’m gonna take these furnitures with me on my new place. This chairs are really comfortable and I want to rearrange my files on this same desk because I’m used to this, you know?” Seungcheol chuckled while checking the now empty drawers and closing his back pack. He turned to Jeonghan and said, “I’m going now. I left the vault but it’s empty so it’s okay to let the movers carry it. I’ll have my secretary arrange for the movers to come when Hana is in school and let them know not to make too much noise so that Chan doesn’t wake up from the noise. Is that okay?”

 

Jeonghan was snapped out of his reverie and said, “Y-Yeah, I got it.”

Seungcheol smiled Jeonghan’s favourite smile of his, his gummy smile with his dimples showing. “Bye, Jeonghan.” Seungcheol said and got out of the office, passing by Jeonghan who is still leaning on the door frame.

 

Jeonghan only heard the front door being opened and then closed, the start of the engine of Seungcheol’s car and the sound of their gates being opened and closed. He stood still until the sound of Seungcheol’s car became nothing.

With shaking legs, Jeonghan walked to Seungcheol’s desk, running his fingers through the brown mahogany wood that they picked together. He sat on Seungcheol’s chair and brought his legs up to his chest and sobbed his eyes out. The past few days, have been emotionally taxing on him although his friends don’t see it. He lowered his head to his legs and sobbed more. He then brought his head up and looked at the empty drawers and cried some more.

 

Jeonghan still loved Seungcheol, but now he has left. And the house will never be the same again.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> it has come to my attention that i may have read all domestic jeongcheol fics in this site. and i want more, so i have taken it upon myself to satisfy myself.  
> shout jeongcheol at me on twt -----> @coupsology


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